Typical vegetable oils and animal fats used in food products contain fatty acid moieties which are predominantly 16 or 18 carbon atoms long and contain zero to three double bonds. These natural oils and fats are generally referred to as long chain triglycerides.
Medium chain triglycerides ("MCT's") are triglycerides made with saturated C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 fatty acids. These synthetic shorter chain triglycerides are metabolized differently by the body because they are more water-soluble than long chain triglycerides. In brief, long chain triglycerides are hydrolyzed into long chain fatty acids and monoglycerides, absorbed, reesterified, incorporated into chylomicron structures, and transported into the lymph. Whereas, MCT's are rapidly hydrolyzed to medium chain fatty acids which are then absorbed into the portal vein and oxidized by the liver. As a result, the body tends to treat the energy from MCT's similarly to the energy from carbohydrates. MCT's contain at least about 10% fewer calories than most triglycerides found in vegetable oils and animal fats as determined by bomb calorimetry. Additionally, because the body is inefficient in converting MCT's to body fat, the metabolizable or net calories that MCT's provide are actually lower than the 10% reduction predicted by conventional measurements. As a result, it would be highly desirable to include MCT's as the fat component in food products.
Unfortunately, MCT's have some potentially serious limitations when used in food products, especially when MCT's are used in cooking. For example, frying with MCT's can be difficult because they have lower smoke, flash and fire point temperatures, as well as unacceptable autoignition characteristics compared with those of most commercial frying shortening or oils. In addition, reuse of MCT oils for frying can impart raw "coconut-type" off-flavors in some foods.
It has now been found that a fat composition consisting of triglycerides synthesized with a particular combination of saturated medium chain fatty acids, saturated long chain fatty acids, and unsaturated long chain fatty acids provides reduced calories, excellent organoleptic properties, and autoignition characteristics which are superior to those of conventional MCT's. Thus, this class of novel triglycerides provides the advantages of MCT's without the negatives discussed above.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a specially synthesized (tailored) fat composition that is reduced in calories when compared to conventional fat compositions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a reduced calorie fat composition which possesses acceptable autoignition characteristics and hence is suitable for use in cooking shortenings and oils.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a reduced calorie fat having excellent organoleptic properties that can be used in a wide variety of food and beverage products.
All parts, percentages, and ratios used herein are by weight unless otherwise indicated.